Five-day long celebration of Diwali – the festival of lights of Hindus, Jains and Sikhs – culminated with Bhai Dooj.

According
to the Hindu calendar, Bhai Dooj falls on the second day after the
new moon. This year, the festival fell on October 21. On this day,
sisters pray for the long life of their brothers.

In
Focus

This
festival is celebrated to strengthen the bond of care and affection
between brothers and sisters. On this day sisters wish well their
brothers with an auspicious tilak or a vermilion mark on their
foreheads and in return sisters receive gifts.

In
Nepal Bhai Dooj is called Bhai Tika and is widely celebrated by
Newari, Tharu, Bahun and Chhetri Hindu communities. The ceremony is
done in traditional style, in which sisters perform aarti of their
brothers and apply a red tika on the brother's forehead. The tika
ceremony signifies the sister's prayers for the long and happy life
of her brother. In return, brothers bless their sisters and treat
them with gifts.

In
Nepal, sisters often put seven-colour long tika on forehead of their
brothers and pray her brother's long life and prosperity. Also, gifts
are exchanged between brothers and sisters as a token of mutual
affection and appreciation.

However,
in Haryana, on this day, women who do not have a brother worship the
moon god instead and apply mehendi as per their tradition.